McDonald Mariga Reveals Grand Plan Through Harambee Stars to Clear Pathway For Kenyan Players to Easily Join EPL Teams

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President McDonald Mariga has revealed the federation’s long-term plan to ensure improved Harambee Stars performances can open doors for more Kenyan players to play in top leagues abroad — particularly the English Premier League (EPL).

Mariga, who famously won the treble with Inter Milan in 2010, understands better than most how FIFA rankings and national team performances can shape individual careers.

 The former midfielder was on the verge of joining Manchester City from Parma in January 2010, but the move fell through because Kenya’s low FIFA ranking denied him a work permit. At the time, foreign players in England were required to have featured in at least 70 percent of their national team matches and come from a country ranked within FIFA’s top 70 — Kenya was ranked 98th.

Despite the setback, Mariga’s story had a fairytale twist as he went on to help Inter Milan clinch the Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League titles, becoming the first Kenyan to win the prestigious European trophy. 

But the incident left a lasting impression on him, and he now wants to ensure that no other Kenyan talent misses out on such opportunities due to administrative and ranking limitations.

Speaking to FKF TV ahead of Kenya’s World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast, Mariga outlined the federation’s strategic focus under the leadership of President Hussein Mohammed.

“We want to qualify for every tournament,” he said. “We came in halfway through this World Cup qualification campaign. Our focus is to win, improve our rankings, and make it easier for players to join teams in countries like the UK.”

Mariga’s younger brother, Victor Wanyama, went on to become the first Kenyan to feature in the Premier League, joining Southampton in 2013 before later signing for Tottenham Hotspur. He remains the only Kenyan to have scored in the Champions League.

The issue remains relevant today, as top striker Michael Olunga also saw a potential move to Everton collapse in 2023 due to the same problem. 

Despite strong performances for Al Duhail in Qatar, Olunga failed to meet the English FA’s Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) requirements — a points-based system used to determine if a foreign player qualifies for a work permit. Players need at least 15 GBE points for eligibility, but Olunga only accumulated 10.

Under the GBE system, players from countries in FIFA’s top 50 rankings automatically qualify for a work permit if they play a required percentage of national team matches over the past two years. However, Kenya, currently ranked 111th, remains far off that mark.

Mariga believes that consistent success by Harambee Stars in future AFCON and World Cup qualifiers will not only lift Kenya’s ranking but also open the floodgates for a new generation of players to break into Europe’s top leagues.